Harry Potter and a Mother's Love
by XPGamer
Summary: Lily Potter (née Evans) wasn't renowned as the most talented witch of her generation for nothing. With the threat hanging over her family, she did what she was known to do best; research. A dark ritual was her salvation and her only hope in saving her son. Now, the Dark Lord is dead; she and her husband are dead and Harry is safe. Or is he?
1. How It Began

"Stand aside foolish girl!" The dark menacing voice demanded. The redhead, in response, shook her head as she stood in front of the crib between him and his target.

"No! Kill me instead! Just leave my Harry alone!" She cried. A smirk appeared on his face and his wand swished through the air sending one of his favorite Unforgivables at the woman.

"_Crucio!_" He cast; amusement in his voice. He watched as the Potter woman fell to the ground and screamed in agony. He paid no attention to the infant who was standing in his crib, small hands gripping the bars, watching the events unfold with wide eyes.

Finally deciding that the woman had had enough, he lifted the curse. To his amazement, the woman was already pulling herself back to her feet. She shakily stood up and pressed her back against the crib, arms stretched out wide as if it was enough to stop him.

"Leave here, Voldemort.' She coughed out. 'Leave or die!" She screamed the last part. Red eyes narrowed in indignation and his wand snapped forward. It was as the curse left his mouth, that his eyes widened in a bit of surprise; triumph, easily seen in Lily Potter's jade-green orbs.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" He had no time to ponder the look in Lily Potter's eyes before it vanished, only to be replaced with the vacant look that those who had been touched by the 'Killing Curse' wore. He watched dispassionately as the woman fell to the ground before sighing.

"You would've made an excellent Death Eater, Potter. You and your husband." With a shake of his head at the waste of such a powerful witch, he strode forward to stand before the crib. It was now that he noticed just how quiet the boy had been. It was a bit unnerving. This wasn't the first child he had murdered, either before or after killing the parents; this _was_ the first time, however, that a child had not made a single sound. Even during the screaming of his own mother, the last Potter remained silent.

"M-m-master! Perhaps this isn't a..." Peter Pettigrew, once-friend of the Potters and Secret-Keeper, recoiled back out of the room when red eyes turned towards him.

"Sniveling coward. Nothing will stop me from this." With that he raised his wand and pointed it at the infant. Peter, eyes darting back and forth in fear, suddenly went still as his animal senses told him that danger was approaching. It was all he needed as he quickly ran towards, and down, the stairs.

"Good help, is so hard to find, Harry Potter.' Voldemort sneered. 'Take comfort, in the fact that you will never know that irritation. _Avada_ _Kedavra!_"

Voldemort smirked as the green curse struck the toddler. The smirk died a swift death when the curse apparently bounced off the boy's body and slammed back into the dark wizard, hitting him directly in the chest.

"W-what?" He managed. His wand fell from his hand and clattered to the floor as his other hand reached up to his chest in growing horror.

"What is this?" Was the last he managed to say before his body was ripped apart.

* * *

Peter let out a shriek as he jumped through the front door, an explosion of magic behind him. He turned over and began scurrying backwards as a dome of golden light emerged from the Potter home and quickly covered the entire house. Even as frightened as he was, he could not take his eyes off the spectacle.

* * *

Voldemort, or what was left of him, hovered in place. He had been reduced to nothing more than a shade and knew he had to leave as quickly as possible. It was only by the genius and power of his Horcruxes that he still "lived" and all he needed to do now was to go to one of the soul anchors but no matter what he tried, he was rooted in place. His attempts in fleeing were halted by humorless laughter. If he still had eyes, they would've turned towards the source of the noise; if he had eyes they would've widened in shock.

Lily Potter stood next to the crib, a ghostly hand smoothing over the now-sleeping Harry's hair. She was hunched over the wall of the crib as she tended to her son, her facial features warm and loving. This changed when her attention snapped towards the shade. Her face contorted into fury and pain, all color left her and she resembled more of a ghoul than a mere ghost.

"I warned you, Voldemort. I warned you to leave and to let my family be. You. Didn't. Listen!" The last part had come out as a screech and Voldemort felt as if he had been struck by a physical blow. He could only watch as the Potter woman straightened up to face him.

"This is my doing, what you're going through now. A Light witch I may have been, but to protect my son; nothing is beyond a mother's love. I'd tell you what I did, but for someone like you, I think I'll let you die without that knowledge. Die, Voldemort; die trying to figure out how a simple _Mudblood_ bested the supposed Dark Lord! The dome covering this house will slowly drain you of all your magic, it will use the magic to reinforce the protection spells. My only regret is that Harry will be stuck here until the dome runs out of magic to use. By that time, however, you will be dead and gone." With that the ghost vanished.

Voldemort screamed in fury and, upon feeling his magic being drained, began pulling at the Dark Marks of his Death Eaters. He was hopeful, that since Pettigrew was so close, the extra bit of magic would help him break free.

* * *

Peter frantically tried to ease the grip that was now around his neck. If he had been frightened before, he was terrified now. Sirius Orion Black had him pinned to the ground and was choking the life out of him.

"You _fucking_ traitor! How could you?! How could you betray James and Lily!? I'll kill you, you sorr..." That was the last he could get out before he slumped over and off of Peter. The rat animagus sat up quickly and looked around. He should've been relieved to see Dumbledore and a dozen or so Aurors standing there but that only made him even more frightened. His mind, however, quickly gave him a way out of this mess.

"It was Sirius! He was the Secret Keeper and he told You-Know-Who!" Dumbledore sighed as he strode forward, a few Aurors moving past him towards Sirius.

"So it would seem, Peter.' Dumbledore looked up at the house and sighed. 'James. Lily. Young Harry...what a mess."

Peter had slowly gotten to his feet and was inching his way to the side. He needed to get out of here, he'd come up with an excuse later but now he needed away from here before Sirius was awakened. Just as he was about to Disapparate, a horrible-sounding roar echoed out from the house catching everyone's attention.

Peter had only briefly looked up before he fell to the ground screaming in pain. The nearby Aurors quickly moved towards him as Dumbledore watched from the side.

Peter pitched and rolled on the ground, his right hand reaching towards his left arm and was tearing at the sleeve of his robes. An Auror at his side figured something was wrong with the arm and quickly pushed up the sleeve. He fell back with a gasp, shakily pointing at the arm where the Dark Mark stood out clearly against Peter's pale skin.

Dumbledore had moved forward and stunned Peter who, despite being unconscious, still convulsed on the ground.

"A Death Eater? Him too?" The Auror who had made the discovery muttered. Dumbledore turned towards Sirius sharply and quickly made his way to the stunned Black. With a swish of his wand, the right sleeve of Sirius' robe vanished revealing an unmarked arm. He and the Aurors shared a look. _'What is going_ on?

"Hey! This one isn't moving any...he's dead!" An Auror who stayed near Pettigrew, just in case, shouted out.

* * *

Voldemort screamed out his frustration as the magic from Pettigrew did little to help him. By the time he had drained the sniveling rat of his magic, it had only replaced what had already been taken by the dome. In desperation, Voldemort pulled from every Dark Mark he had ever given.

Death Eaters, all over the country, fell to the ground screaming out in pain. Those nearby, whom had attempted to help, soon found the Dark Marks. It would remain a headline for nearly a year afterwards, _'The Great Purge and the Savior Who Brought It'_. There wouldn't be a single Death Eater who would escape and any who had been sympathetic to their cause would quickly fix their way of thinking once the whole story came out.

A boy, a year-old child, had been the cause of the Dark Lord's demise and along with him went every underling he had. In another time, Harry James Potter might have been given fame for being responsible for the death of a Dark Lord. The fame he would gain from the '_Purge_' would easily dwarf that.

Voldemort felt his magic draining even faster and was thrashing about the room, specifically against the windows. The glass shattered easily enough, but he could go no further. He tried attacking the boy but was repelled across the room. Then, just as he felt his magic completely leave him, he received a boost that put him at over half of his magical core. At first he was ecstatic, but then he felt the drain happening again. When it nearly ended he received yet another boost, it was then that the self-styled Dark Lord understood where the boost were coming from.

"**The Horcruxes...**" They were being drained, even as far away as they were, and it was then that Tom Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, knew that he was defeated. His screams of fury only intensified, the room shook with his anger, and throughout it all; young Harry slept on.

* * *

Dumbledore had been sending small probes of magic at the dome for nearly twenty minutes now. Off to the side a distraught Sirius Black had to be held back by three Aurors as he tried to rush towards the house. After the revelation about Peter, Sirius had been re-ennervated. The man had quickly tried to find Peter once again and had slumped to the ground when he saw the traitor's corpse.

Dumbledore allowed the Aurors to deal with Sirius, the dome before him continued to hold all of his attention. It was something he had never read about, much less encountered. He, like the others nearby, had felt the magical outbursts from within the house. Unlike the others however, he felt how the dark magic inside seemed to slowly wither away before vanishing, only to burst back into life.

It was as he contemplated the happenings that Bartimus Crouch Apparated onto the scene. Seeing the Supreme Mugwump, and Chief-Warlock, that was Dumbledore, he quickly made his way over.

"Albus.' He greeted, which the ancient wizard returned in kind. 'I don't know if you've heard the news but Death Eaters are being found dead by the dozen. Each and every single one of them show signs of Magical Depletion." There was an edge to Barty's voice that Albus took note of but he pushed it away as he looked at the dome with new eyes.

"I see." He trailed off as he sent another probe at the dome and then turned back to the head of the DMLE with a sigh.

"Barty. I believe I have a theory as to what has happened this night.' He gestured towards the dome. 'The Dark Lord came here tonight to kill the Potters. I am not sure how, yet, but something went wrong for him. Ever since I've arrived, there have been large magical outbursts inside. Peter Pettigrew, over there, collapsed after we had arrived and soon after he was dead. Magical Depletion." Barty frowned and looked over at the dead wizard, his eyes easily making out the Dark Mark on the right forearm.

"So you're saying whatever happened to You-Know-Who is affecting the Death Eaters?" The official questioned, tired eyes studying the dome surrounding the house. Albus thought about asking the man what was truly bothering him but decided to leave it for now.

"Yes. Furthermore, I believe that this magical dome was what caused it all. I can no longer feel Voldemort's magic in the house; I know for a fact that he has not left. Whatever this is, it drained the Dark Lord's magic and it is my best guess that he, in turn, drained his followers out of desperation."

Barty's eyes widened and he looked from the corpse of Pettigrew to the house and then a look of wonder crossed his features. Before he could say a word, Dumbledore spoke again.

"There is a problem however. Young Harry Potter, only child of James and Lily Potter is still in the house. I can feel his magic, however faint it may be. I believe this magic to be protecting him." Barty look gobsmacked.

"But, that boy isn't even two years old yet, last I heard. Are you telling me that one child is the reason for the fall of You-Know-Who and all his Death Eaters?"

Albus remained silent, choosing to keep his eyes on the magical dome. He had had sneaking suspicions about Tom for some time now. A dark branch of magic that the self-styled Lord Voldemort might've researched in order to remain all-powerful. If he was right, then one day Tom Riddle would return for revenge. What made him undecided about that theory, now, was the impressive piece of magic he was currently trying to understand. He knew that Tom hadn't left the inside of the house yet, and the dark wizard's magic was still withering out before flaring back into existence over and over. Albus had counted five so far.

Something else he had to consider was the Death Eaters. They were all dead now, which meant that _if_ Tom should ever return, he would be without followers. He would have to lay low for quite some time before being able to move against the Wizarding World again. Albus briefly thought of what that would be like. A Dark Lord without anyone to do his bidding.

"Albus! Are you going to answer me or just stand there and claim senility!" Crouch growled.

The elderly wizard blinked his thoughts away and came to a conclusion.

"Harry James Potter has saved us all, Barty. This dome, it is his doing. The Potters were in hiding because of the strength that I saw in young Harry the day he was born.' Albus chose not to say anything about the Longbottoms. If anything, he could claim that they were just following their friend's lead. He _would_ have to have a talk with them before the night was over. 'The Dark Lord Voldemort has been drained of his magic and before his demise, he took all of his Death Eaters with him. That is all I know at this time Barty." '_That means Severus as well. Poor boy, he never got the chance to fully redeem himself._' He privately thought the last part, as a memory of a scared young man on his knees begging to save the Potters...no, to save _Lily_.

The man went through several emotions ranging from confused to indignant to awed before finally stopping on relieved.

"That...is...I don't even know how to describe what I'm feeling right now." The man finally got out. It wasn't lost on Albus that the DMLE-head's sentiments were shared by the gathered Aurors.

"Perhaps, it would be wise to have someone spread the good news?" Trying not to sound as if it was an actual suggestion. Crouch may be good at his job on a good day, but the man was easily lost to his emotions that he developed tunnel-vision. If the rumors were to be believed, the current forerunner to soon replace Minister Millicent Bagnold was a man by the name of Cornelius Fudge. He was being backed by several of the Pureblood families that were considered Dark or of the Purist Movement. With the situation in regards to the Death Eaters, it would seem like Fudge would be out of the running soon. If not, well, Albus was starting to think that perhaps he had too many titles these days and just maybe he would change his stance on becoming minister.

As he was musing, Crouch had turned to the Aurors and had begun barking out orders. Sirius, who had once more tried to rush the dome, was victim of the Stupefy yet again. Crouch had issued the order for Sirius to be taken to St. Mungo's. Albus was both grateful and felt guilty at this. He had come to Godric's Hollow believing that Sirius Black had betrayed his friends to Tom.

It was beyond shocking to him that he had been so wrong. To think, that Sirius would convince James and Lily to make Peter the Secret-Keeper instead of him. In hindsight, it was actually the better choice. Sirius would _die_ before ever betraying James and Lily. He would've most definitely been targeted by Tom's Death Eaters and he would no doubt have been tortured for the whereabouts of the Potters. Even if that had happened, Sirius couldn't betray information that magic would not allow him to speak of. Peter Pettigrew...his character wasn't a very strong one and no one would think that he would be entrusted with such important information. That he went willingly to the Dark Lord was almost unfathomable to Albus. If he hadn't seen the Dark Mark with his own eyes he would've been hard-pressed to believe it.

Now. James and Lily were dead. Their betrayer was also dead. The man responsible for betraying the prophecy to Tom in the first was dead. Tom, himself, was soon to be dead. '_The count stopped at six__ some time ago and there hasn't been another outburst of magic_' he thought idly. Sirius was Harry's Godfather, and would definitely be granted guardianship of Harry. There was nothing stopping that, not that Albus wanted to anyhow. He just wanted the child out of Godric's Hollow and in safe hands. There was nowhere else safer than in Sirius', but it seemed that they would all have to play the waiting game. In the meantime...

"Kingsley, my boy. A moment of your time please?" He called towards a young junior Auror. The dark-skinned man blinked in surprise before quickly striding over to the elder wizard.

"How can I help you Headmaster?" The dark-skinned man asked. He had been out of Hogwarts for a while now but some habits died harder than others.

Albus offered a strained smile as he clasped a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"My boy, seeing as Crouch is currently busy, I would like for you to set up a schedule for guard duty around this home. I am not sure of the exact time-frame but I do not believe this dome will be coming down any time soon. We can only pray that it doesn't last longer than a few months."

Kingsley's eyes widened in shock as he turned towards the house.

"But, the Potter child is still inside isn't he?" The man grit his teeth as he turned an apologetic look towards the Headmaster only to have his fears waved off.

"Do not fret, it is human nature to be curious and in a situation like this, even I would've been hard-pressed not to eavesdrop." Albus chuckled.

"Still, Crouch would have my head if he knew; even if I wasn't the only one." Kingsley ran a nervous hand over his face, wiping off the collected sweat.

"Yes, Barty can be quick to temper but I trust that he will overlook your actions in lieu of the bigger picture at the moment. Now, about that schedule...?"

Kingsley quickly nodded and promised to get right on it, he had then turned and moved hurriedly towards a group of his fellow Aurors.

Albus watched the man go before turning back to the house. If only he knew what was going on inside.

* * *

Voldemort couldn't feel anything anymore, nor could he see. He had just received one last boost of magic a few moments ago, and it startled him that it had come from the crib, specifically, from the boy. He hadn't been aware that he had unintentionally created a Horcrux using the child, though he wasn't sure how that worked exactly either. In all of his research he hadn't come across anything that would lead him to believe he could use a living creature, much less a human, as a Horcrux. Though he hadn't finished the research either.

He was aware that he was currently on the floor somewhere near the door. Everything was pitch black and if possible, it was only getting darker. With one last heaving attempt at escape, at the chance of doing _anything_, the Dark Lord Voldemort -born Tom Marvolo Riddle- faded into nothingness, never to return.

* * *

Lily Potter (née Evans) slipped into view as if she had shed an invisibility cloak. Her features were once again normal, she had felt a bit better about being dead when she was able to pull off that "ghoul" look on Voldemort. Let it be said that Lily was just as good at pranks as the Marauders, though she wouldn't be able to share this one with anybody.

She peered into the crib that held her son. The ritual she had used had done everything it was supposed to. The saying "No plan survives first contact with the enemy" could never have been truer, however; She had not counted on Voldemort draining his Death Eaters of their magic to try to stay alive. If it had just been Voldemort, the magical dome that was protecting the home and her Harry would've only lasted two months, three at the most. The magic would easily keep Harry healthy and alive, though he would have to be taken care of right away once the dome fell. Voldemort draining his Death Eaters though...and those other burst of magic that he gained; even as smart as she was, she didn't know how long it was going to be before the dome ran out of magic to sustain itself.

Another side-effect of the ritual now was that she would remain in the house until the dome left. She comforted herself with the fact that she would be able to keep Harry company, hopefully be able to interact with him as he got older (That is, if the dome stayed up that long, which she uneasily felt was going to be the case.) and maybe she'd be able tell her son all about his parents. Only time would tell, for now, she contented herself with simply watching her baby boy.

Small eyelids slowly opened to reveal green orbs that instantly locked onto the ghostly apparition standing near the crib. Mother and son locked eyes and remained that way for some time before the infant fell back asleep. Lily wondered at that for a moment before the thought simply left her mind and she went back to watching over her son as before, the brief moment completely forgotten.

No one, not Lily, not Dumbledore, not Sirius and certainly not Harry could possibly know that the Wizarding World would not be able to greet it's savior for the next six years. No one could possibly know what it would mean for the Wizarding World when a seven year old Harry James Potter would finally be able to leave Godric's Hollow. Nothing could prepare the world for the events that follow.

* * *

**Okay! Not too happy with the ending, it seems to cheesy, but wasn't exactly sure what else to put. Anyway!**

**Quite a few things to put out.  
**

**First! This fic is a bit of a side-project to give me some more time off from Test of Fortitude. The idea was slightly inspired by the up-coming film _Mama_ as well as some conversations in the forums. Even though I have half of the next chapter of ToF finished, there are some things I'm not happy about with the fic as a whole and I think I need to slow down before I write myself into a corner.  
**

**Secondly! This fic right here, this is going to be a MAJOR deviation from canon, such examples are:  
**

**Voldemort is dead and staying that way. Nothing can or is going to bring him back. All the Death Eaters are dead, anyone with a Dark Mark. There will still be those who sympathized with Voldemort's cause and had the same beliefs, but if they didn't have the Dark Mark, then they lived. Such a person is Narcissa Malfoy.  
**

**Without the influence of Death Eaters who claimed to have been under the Imperius and are really just biding their time, a lot of things are going to be different. Ex: Draco isn't going to be the carbon copy of his father. Many other DE children are going to be also different. The Ministry will be different.  
**

**Thirdly! Without Voldemort and/or DE's, Harry's time at Hogwarts will be drastically different. There will be no Sorceror's Stone, no Chamber of Secrets (though if it's discovered simply by chance is another matter) no Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry wont be forced into the Tri-Wiz Tourny, etc. Harry will learn about the Prophecy but it wont really matter because Voldemort is gone.  
**

**What this means is that new threats will be created, or at least new events that will occur in Harry's life. Can't just have a boring story about Harry attending Hogwarts, now can we?  
**

**Now, this is for those who follow certain pairings. Hermione/Ron, Fleur/Bill, and Remus/Tonks...these pairings will not be featured in this fic. That doesn't mean that any of those girls will be paired with Harry (or the guys, for that matter. None of that slash stuff here.) I have an idea for the pairing, but it still up for debate. It wont matter for the first 10 chapters anyhow, I'm going to wait at least that long. Harry is going to reappear as a seven year old. He will have to be brought back into the world one step at a time. He'll have to meet and get to know Sirius and anyone else that's around.  
**

**I would also like any and all input from you readers on this fic. What would you like to see happen, what could be something that Harry has to deal with, ideas for who he should be paired with (even though I might just stick with whom I have in mind), differences that _should_ definitely be seen in this new HP world, stuff like that.  
**

**So, what do you think?  
**


	2. Emergence

**First and foremost, I want to thank everyone that reviewed chapter 1. It was a bit of a surprise for it to get so much attention the way it did. Yes, it's only 14 reviews but for me, that's a lot. **

**Secondly, I want to give many thanks to MegaB for helping me out with this chapter and for all the encouragement. Also, thanks to everyone over in KNP. You guys rock!  
**

**I mean, my Naruto fic didn't get that much attention until I was like 5 chapters in or something.**

**Another thing is it had 8 reviews the very day I published it. Okay, enough of that. Sorry, I'm just a bit excited.  
**

**Anyways, I apologize for taking so long with chapter 2. I kind of got a bit overwhelmed by the feedback I received and I decided that this wasn't going to be like my Naruto fic where I just wrote up a chapter and posted it without even going over it. I want this fic to be the absolute best that I can make.  
**

**Now, just to reiterate what I've already said before, Harry is going to have a very, _very_, different type of life. His time at Hogwarts is especially going to be different. I have a few ideas on what to do during certain events but other than that, the majority of the major events that happen in canon will either _not_ happen or just happen very differently.  
**

**One last thing. Anon-reviews. Whether it's flaming or telling me I'm the greatest, I wont accept them. I accidentally let one get through but I'm not doing that again if I can help it. So please, whether you want to say my fic sucks or give me advice or what have you, log-in and _the__n_ review.  
**

* * *

Narcissa Black, once known as Lady Malfoy, slowly backed out of the bedroom she had just spent the last five minutes in and quietly closed the door as she moved into the hallway. A small smile graced her features as she caught once last glimpse of her darling, and only, son who had finally fallen asleep. She stared at the door for a few moments and had decided that it was now time to visit another room within the mansion before retiring for the night when a snide voice behind her spoke up.

"The little ponce has finally gone to sleep has he?" The youngest of the infamous Black sisters, as they had once been called so many years ago, stiffened before spinning around and shooting the person who dared speak so callously of her darling prince.

"_Bella!_' She hissed. 'Don't you _dare_ speak that way about my little Draco!" She was careful not to raise her voice too high; she knew all too well how much of a light-sleeper Draco could be. She also knew that, when provoked, her elder sister Bellatrix could raise the dead with her cackles and screams.

Said sister sneered before turning and facing the mirror behind her. Narcissa watched in slight envy as her sister fawned over her beautiful, and youthful, face.

She knew better than to be jealous of a painting, but sometimes it wasn't fair to see Bellatrix in the prime of her life.

The painting had been made when Bellatrix was only sixteen years old. Not exactly the "prime" of her life but it was the time in which Bellatrix had been not only beautiful, but innocent. Well, so-to-speak. To clarify, Bellatrix had yet to take the Dark Mark and had yet to fall so deep into the Dark Arts and become the wretched woman she was when she died.

There were, of course, paintings that were made for their middle sister Andromeda; their cousin Sirius and his brother Regulus and finally, for Narcissa herself. Bellatrix' painting was currently the only one active however. No one, not even Sirius, knew what had ever happened to Regulus; and his painting had come up missing when the question of its activation had come up.

The best part, in Narcissa's mind, about when the paintings were created was the fact that Bellatrix didn't have any of the opinions she would later declare to be her driving force. The painting of Bellatrix was the same girl that she was in Hogwarts: snobbish, quick-witted, even-tempered and neutral. That's not to say she was a joy to be around, but at least she wasn't spewing her Death Eater propaganda onto Draco, or anyone else that stayed long enough to listen.

"I'm glad that you never got around to updating your painting Bella. If you had, I know Sirius would never have agreed to hang you up."

The painting quirked a brow, it wasn't often that she heard anything about her life after Hogwarts.

"I'm sure I was too busy for such a mundane task. Though…_do_ tell; about what I did that would have our _Lord Black_ do something so _cruel_ as to deny this ancient house of my presence!"

Narcissa shook her head and turned to walk away.

"Bella, watch over your nephew's safety. I have something that requires my attention."

Her sister rolled her eyes and muttered about "having no choice" but otherwise remained silent. Taking that as a good sign, Narcissa quickly made her way down the hall.

* * *

"Come in." The voice from within the study called, startling Narcissa. With narrowed eyes she entered the room to see Lord Sirius Orion Black sitting in his favorite chair in the far corner of the room.

"I never appreciated that little stunt when Dumbledore would do it, and time has done nothing to change that Siri."

Sirius closed the book he had been looking through, moving it to a nearby tray, and looked up with a strained grin.

"I can't even remember the last time you called me that…Cissy."

Narcissa, who immediately recognized the album that held all of the photos that Sirius had of the Potters, allowed her features to soften at the nickname and quietly moved towards the tray the album lay on.

Sirius watched her calmly, not even attempting to hide what had him staying up so late. Narcissa stood next to the tray and opened the album to the middle and looked through a few pages. James and Lily. She honestly never saw that happening. Then again, she had graduated long before the Potter heir had finally wooed the muggle-born Evans girl. Closing the album, she moved towards a nearby chair and settled gracefully into it.

"Sirius…" Was as far as she got before her cousin sighed and stood up and moved to the liquor cabinet against the wall. Narcissa waited obediently as her lord made his drink. She watched as he knocked back three shots before finally making an actual drink and return to his chair.

"No. Narcissa. No. I've said it before, I'll say it again, and next time you come to talk to me, I'll say it then as well."

The widow and mother pursed her lips at being shot down so swiftly, even if it wasn't the first time, and looked ready to begin the age-old argument but a raised hand from Sirius stopped her. Fighting the urge to scream at him in anger, she rose up out of her chair and followed her cousin's example at the cabinet.

"Draco is, by all accounts, Lord Malfoy. He needs only wait till his eleventh birthday and he'll gain everything that Lucius left to him. I am not going to declare him my heir.' His voice tapered off and he nearly whispered the next part. 'Harry is my godson, and he will be my heir. I can't have children; you know this, therefore, everything will fall to my godson."

Narcissa had only thought of having a single shot before making her drink, but at Sirius' last words she poured three shots worth into her cup and downed it in one go. Her eyes watered as her throat burned but she fought through it to make her drink and quickly moved back to her seat.

"You don't even know if he's still alive.' She stated. She wouldn't lose control of her emotions. Even if she was less inclined to extol the ideology behind the pureblood purity movement that had surged up while she was in Hogwarts, it didn't mean she decided to forget everything she had ever been taught while growing up in a pureblood house. She was a lady; a pureblood. She…was drunk already. 'He could be dead in that house for all you know."

"I know." Narcissa had resigned herself to hearing her cousin go on another rant on why he wasn't going to give up on his godson or anything along those lines, but hearing the dead voice that came from him just then; _"Damn this muggle liquor!"_

"Siri, what do you want? You tell me that you won't name Draco your heir; that it's going to be Harry.' She slumped back into her chair, to weary and drunk to care about etiquette at the moment. 'Now you're acting all…" She waved her hand slightly in the air, not sure what else to say.

"Harry might be dead. It's true, and I'm not too blind not to be able to admit at least that much. I mean, it's been six years almost now. How can anyone, especially an infant, live that long in a single house with no one to take care of them. Even a fully stocked pantry would be emptied within a month, two at the most."

Sirius took another drink, his eyes roving around the room. Seeing this caused Narcissa to do the same. The walls of the study were mostly covered in newspaper clippings that had anything to do with that Halloween night in '81.

**DARK LORD DEFEATED! **

**Attack on Potter family leads to the defeat of the Dark Lord.**

**YOU-KNOW-WHO IS YOU-KNOW-WHAT!**

**The Wizarding world has been saved and we owe it all to Harry James Potter!**

**MINISTRY STATES THAT ALL DEATH EATERS ARE DEAD**

**Full list of all accounted-for Death Eaters.**

**SAVIOUR OF THE WIZARDING WORLD: HARRY JAMES POTTER**

**Ministry claims that our Saviour is under a magical barrier.**

Those were just a few of the articles that Sirius had saved. There were many others, but most of those were just "Headline News" in the absence of anything new to report on Harry's status. Such headlines were:

The Fudge scandal, in which a man named Cornelius Fudge withdrew from his campaign for Minister after it was discovered that he had been financially backed by former, and now deceased, Death Eaters.

Sirius, as Lord Black, overturning Andromeda's banishment and bringing her and her daughter into the Black family, it had only been headline news because it tied into Sirius annulling Narcissa's marriage to Lucius which had her reverting back to her maiden name. Sirius had also taken Malfoy Mansion as recompense for Narcissa's dowry.

Albus Dumbledore named interim Minister when Millicent Bagnold had unexpectedly resigned, leaving now successor. Bartemius Crouch, the head of the DMLE, would've been the likely successor if he hadn't _also_ resigned after it was revealed that his own son, Barty Crouch Jr, had been a Death Eater. With his son's death and his wife's failing health, Crouch Sr had opted out for Minister and resigned from his post. Dumbledore had initially stated it was only because there was no one else that he would take up the position of Minister, but he wouldn't be keeping the position.

Narcissa took a small drink as she eyed the moving picture of the former Headmaster. He had _said_ it was only temporary, but in the end, he remained as Minister. Not that he had a choice. With him in that position, no one dared to run against him. The ICW _did_ require him to resign from his post as Headmaster of Hogwarts however; it was just too much power for one man to have, even if it _was_ Dumbledore.

Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock, Headmaster, and now Minister; Dumbledore stunned the very few of his naysayers by resigning from the Chief Warlock position. The position had been up for grabs, Dumbledore declaring he would not vote either way for any candidate, and in the end it was a man by the name of Amos Diggory that had taken up the position.

Other than those, not much else was really noteworthy, even if Sirius had put it on the wall. More likely than not, many of the clippings were on the wall simply because Harry had been mentioned for one reason or another.

"Sirius..." Once again she was cut-off but this time it wasn't Sirius that had done it. The two, drunk though they might have been, were instantly on their feet when the wards alerted them of an arrival by Floo.

Quickly exiting the room they moved towards the fireplace, wands drawn, and as they neared they heard the person's voice suddenly shout out via Sonorus.

"SIRIUS! COME QUICK!" Andromeda's amplified voice echoed throughout the mansion and Narcissa darted in front of her cousin, entering the greeting room.

"Andromeda! What in the devil is wrong with you?! You had better pray that you didn't wake Drac…" Narcissa's splitting headache didn't do anything to improve her very poor disposition. She had been interrupted so many times this night, she was drunk, and her sister had silenced her with nary a word and only the barest of wand movements.

Sirius didn't even bother with the infuriated woman, instead he had made his presence known to his favorite cousin. Upon seeing him Andromeda grabbed him by the arm and began pulling him towards the Floo.

Grabbing a handful of powder and throwing it into the fireplace she shouted out "St. Mungos!" She then turned to Sirius and with one word she convinced him to leave.

"Harry!"

* * *

**Thirty Minutes Earlier – Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow.**

Auror Charles Elliot and Auror Rebecca Coulson stood across the street from the site of the Wizarding world's most famous building. Normally the guards were supposed to patrol around the perimeter but, after over five years, those who would be assigned this duty had learned that it wasn't absolutely necessary for a thorough patrol.

Charles and Rebecca had partnered up more than a few times and had their own little routine for their shift. They would start in front of the home; Charles would take to the sky with a broom and Rebecca would walk the street. After fifteen minutes they would take a break and chat or eat. When they resumed their duties they would trade off; Rebecca taking to the air and Charles on foot.

They were currently halfway through their shift when a sudden pulse of magic lifted them off their feet and slammed them into the wall behind them. Luckily, they only flew two feet or else they might've been rendered unconscious.

"What the hell was _that_!" Charles cried out in astonishment. He had never felt anything like it, and he had used to follow the dueling circuits and even once witnessed a demonstration by none other than Albus Dumbledore. The wave of magic he had just felt now though…

"I don't know but call it in. The Minister said that if anything like this ever happened he wanted to be alerted right away." Was his partner's response.

In no time at all, Minister of Magic Albus Dumbledore; Head of the the DMLE Amelia Bones; ten Aurors and three Unspeakables – if their outfits were anything to go by – were on the scene.

"People, I believe the time has come for the barrier to come down. Once it does, I will personally lead a small team inside. This team will be made up of Amelia, Head Auror Longbottom, Unspeakable Smith, Unspeakable Smith, Unspeakable Smith and myself. All Aurors are to spread out and surround the cottage."

A few of the Aurors cracked some grins or just snorted in derision at the names of the Unspeakables but they all readied themselves.

Albus Dumbledore had been waiting for this moment for nearly six years. He had postulated that the magical dome would come down at the exact same time that it went up and his belief had been correct.

He had _not_ expected this event to occur six years after-the-fact though. It was also some kind of coincidence, in his mind, that Harry would emerge as a seven year old. It would've been more alarming if the barrier had come down on Harry's birthday, of that he was sure, so he wasn't putting too much thought into Harry's age.

His eyes sharpened as the barrier began to fade in and out. A low hum could now be heard, whether it was from the barrier itself or from within he wasn't sure. Then, in a rather anti-climatic fashion; the dome disappeared.

The Minister blinked in surprise, a sentiment that was shared by all in attendance. Potter Cottage stood as it did that night in '81, as if nothing had ever happened; though the shattered door that gave Voldemort entry that night stood out glaringly.

After only a minute, Albus took a single step forward and that's when things got interesting. The windows on the first floor had been the only ones intact after that night. All the ones on the second floor near the baby-room had all been destroyed by Voldemort's attempt to escape. When Albus had moved forward, the window suddenly exploded outwards sending glass and broken wood flying.

Hastily erected shields easily stopped the flying debris. Once things calmed down, all eyes returned to the house and every single pair of eyes widened.

The house was literally aging before them. White-painted exterior walls were turning brown, shingles were sliding off the roof in pieces; any wooden parts of the home that could be seen were quickly rotting.

Albus was now alarmed and he turned towards those gathered.

"We must enter _now_! Aurors, surround the home; those coming with me let us go.' Even as he gave his orders, he was already moving across the street, Amelia, Frank and the Unspeakables at his heels. 'I fear the house will not remain standing for much longer."

Albus was the first through the door followed by Frank. Amelia entered after the first Unspeakable. Frank was already moving towards the kitchen while the Unspeakables each split up in various directions. Amelia decided it was best to follow the Minister.

Albus had only one destination in mind and that was the nursery. He had ignored the quickly-decaying walls as he ascended the stairs to the second floor. He was well aware of Amelia following him but it wasn't something he cared to debate at the moment, any reason he might've had to be able to see the room alone had left his mind once the house started to literally fall apart.

* * *

Lord Frank Longbottom, Head Auror, had already checked the kitchen and backdoor. So far it seemed that the Dark Lord had been the only one to entire the house. The backdoor was intact, well, aside from the decaying it was going through currently. The windows were all shattered but that might've just been from what they had all seen earlier. He had quickly moved through the living room and was once more near the front door.

After a few moments two of the Unspeakables reappeared. Frank turned towards them and asked the question that was now burning a hole in his mind.

"Have either of you two seen any bodies?"

* * *

Albus had a death-grip on Amelia's arm as they stood in the entrance of the nursery. As soon as he entered the room his eyes immediately fell upon the small figure under the crib, Amelia had come around to his side and once she saw where he was looking she made to go towards the child but Albus' hand stopped her.

"Amelia, I do not believe that simply walking up to him would be wise right now."

Amelia gave him a look that clearly said that she didn't understand. Albus sighed and he gestured towards the small boy.

"My glasses have a special charm on them that detects ill intent. Not only does it see that on him, but it is also showing me that he has completely surrounded himself with magic.' Slowly, Albus took off the glasses. 'In fact, it's almost blinding."

Taking a deep breath, Amelia slowly stretched out her senses and tried to feel for what Albus had described. It only took a split-second and she instantly shut it down. She was now staring wide-eyed at the figure beneath the crib.

Small, almost _too_ small, hands were gripping the bars of the crib that had been pulled down so that it almost made it seem as if the boy was in a cage. Not much could really be seen of the child except; his eyes.

They were like coals in a fire, such burning intensity that was only amplified due to the darkness of the room. Those green orbs stared back blankly, but the wariness, the _hostility_, were there lurking in the background.

Looking around the room, Amelia remembered Albus' own words about the house and knew that they didn't have time for this.

"Dumbledore, we need to get him out of here. Even if you have to stun him and risk him attacking you when he wakes, it's not going to do him any good to stay under there when the house crumbles around us."

Albus blinked and came back to his senses. He wasn't going to admit it but he had been trying to scan Harry's surface thoughts. He would not have been surprised, really, if the boy had strong Occlumency shields for any reason that he could think of; he would've been thankful if the boy had no shields at all. Instead, the boy was completely blank. There was nothing to read, there were no shields, there was nothing.

Stepping forward carefully, both arms stretched out and his palms facing Harry to show he meant no harm and wasn't secretly holding a weapon of any type, he decided to see if they could do things the easy way.

"Harry. My boy, you've grown since last I saw you. I know that you don't recognize or know me, and I know you don't know my colleague here, but, I was hoping you would be willing to come out from under there so that we could take you to a nice place where you can get medical help. You have been in this house for a very long time and by the looks of it, you haven't been eating well. So, could you please come out?"

Amelia nearly rolled her eyes at Dumbledore for talking to a child who had never had anyone to teach him such simple things as the English language and here he was talking to the boy as if he was anyone else. Of course, once she thought this, the boy defied her by slowly moving out from under the crib.

The two adults looked at the boy in shock as he crawled out and stayed on all fours as he moved to the center of the room before slowly standing up straight. Then, in a move that further shocked Amelia, the boy held up his hands in a gesture that easily said "Pick me up."

Albus had taken a step forward and the boy had dropped his hands and stepped back. Slightly taken aback, Albus smiled kindly before turning to Amelia who looked at him incredulously. Nevertheless, the woman moved forward with only a little bit of hesitance and was rewarded by the boy raising his arms again.

The middle-aged woman carefully picked up the boy by lifting him from under his arms. Once she got him up she brought her right arm down and under the boy's bottom while her other arm came up around his mid-section, her hand pressed against the his back. It was only now that she could fully understand how malnourished the child was. He felt as if he weighed absolutely nothing. Unbidden, tears welled up in her eyes as _too_-thin arms slowly snaked their way around her neck and the boy laid his head against her shoulder, facing outward.

Amelia turned towards Albus who had not moved from the entrance. Just as she was about to tell him they should get out of the house she heard a whisper right next to her ear.

"Mum."

She moved her head to the side so she could look at the child and she was startled to realize that she hadn't felt him even move. Instead of his head lying against her shoulder, he was now facing behind her, his chin resting against her collarbone.

The tears that threatened to fall before now had nothing holding them back and the woman hugged the child as tightly as she could without hurting due to his small frame. While she had no children of her own, she had raised her niece since the girl was a babe but Susan had always referred to her as "Auntie" which Amelia never had a problem with.

Now, though, this child that had asked to be picked up, that had grown up in a house by himself since he was only one-years old; that had lived in a house where both of his parents were murdered; a boy that never knew a mother's love or a father's praise; this boy was calling her "Mum" and she couldn't help but be conflicted.

How could she take away the sacrifice that Lily and James gave, especially Lily, to protect their child by allowing said child to call her by an endearment that was only meant for his true mother; on the same token, how could she tell the boy not to call her that?

In the end, she decided to stay silent and slowly walked out of the room, following after Dumbledore who advised her to stick close to him in the event that a part of the ceiling fell.

If either adult had looked where Harry had been looking when he had said what he had, then perhaps they might've looked under the crib once more.

They might've seen glowing green eyes staring out from the darkness.

* * *

**And there you have it! Man, I cannot say how many times I started this chapter and then restarted it again. Sometimes, I would just sit in front of the computer and come up with nothing. **

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter.  
**


	3. Arrival

**Yo! Sorry for the very late update but, I just couldn't bring myself to write. It wasn't a writer's-block or laziness or anything like that...well, it was a little bit of laziness. You see, when I write (even as I write this A/N) there are so many ideas, scenarios, dialogue, etc, etc that are trying to push their way to the fore, demanding they be written "now!" and it kinda makes writing anything hard for me.**

**This is also why I can't really write out multiple chapters and then just wait a certain amount time before posting them. I tried that once and when I went over it again (deciding to post it) I looked at the entire chapter, shook my head, and scrapped it. **

**Know this. This chapter is only a semi-formed thought in my head as I write this A/N. As I go through the chapter the idea becomes more solid. Sure, I go back and change this or that but for the most part I just type until my brain says "enough".**

**Summer is coming up and school will be letting out soon, I don't know how that will affect my updates but for the most part, this fic and ToF don't get updated regularly as it is so I wont make any promises.**

**For those who don't want to go back to the previous chapter, here is a brief re-cap.**

_**The dome has fallen from around the Potter's home and Harry has been finally released to the outside world.**_

_**There has been a brief look into the Wizarding World as well as Sirius' personal life. He is Lord Black, he has taken in the Tonks and Narcissa Black-formerly-Malfoy. **_

_**Dumbledore is Minister of Magic and hasn't been able to relinquish the title.** _

_**Frank Longbottom has been shown to be alive meaning his family was not attacked. **_**(What can this mean for Neville's personality when he's older?)**

_**There are a great many characters that are no longer alive therefore not part of this story. This means there will be a shift in dynamics for places like Hogwarts and in the Wizengamot. **_

_**With Dumbledore as Minister, this means there is a new Headmaster of Hogwarts; that's a surprise though.**_

* * *

Sirius groaned as he sunk further into his favorite chair within his den. He had just poured himself another glass of whiskey when the door opened and a familiar woman entered.

Andromeda Tonks nee Black narrowed her eyes dangerously as she looked upon the sheepish face of her cousin and lord. Faster than Sirius could blink, Andromeda had her wand out and the glass in his hand, as well as the tumbler on the tabletop next to him vanished.

"Hey!" The blurry-eyed man exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. He couldn't, however, move fast enough to stop his cousin who turned her wand towards the liquor cabinet.

"_Evanesco._" Sirius gaped as his entire cabinet vanished before his very eyes and he quickly rounded on his cousin in anger; anger which quickly fled his mind upon seeing the wand that just rid the room of alcohol now firmly pressing against his skin right between his eyes.

"Sirius. Orion._ Black!_ You will march straight up to your room. You will shower and then put on a set of clean clothes. You will then march your mangy arse right back downstairs and meet me in the dining room. We will then have a very long and _very_ serious talk about your attitude. Is there any part of what I just said that you did not understand? And Merlin help you if you even _think_ of making that damn pun on your name!"

Sirius could only stare wide-eyed at his cousin for a few moments before nodding his head slowly.

"NOW!" With that, the Lord Black scrambled out of the room and up the stairs. Andromeda stepped out of the room and turned her head towards her grinning sister.

"Still a devil in human skin aren't you, dear sister?" Andromeda smirked and lifted her right hand in front of her younger sister's face; three fingers displayed.

"What are you...?" Narcissa trailed off as Andromeda lowered one finger after the other. As the last finger went down a door was heard slamming shut from the other-side of the mansion and the youngest of the Black sisters flushed angrily as she quickly rushed up the stairs.

"I swear if that mutt has woken my dear Draco!" She spat angrily.

All the while, Andromeda stayed where she was. Now that everything had calmed down she allowed herself to think about how everything was now changed.

It had been a rough week since Harry was taken from the Potter home. It was obvious that he would need a visit to St. Mungos, a visit that had turned into a week-long stay. The Healers had not wanted to let him out of their sights until they were absolutely sure he was okay.

That was fine, Andromeda and even Sirius had agreed with this course of action. It was everything else that made Harry's stay uncomfortable.

Constant requests from journalists to talk to Harry, or to simply get his picture for their respective publication. There had been many attempts by a few Ministry officials, whom Andromeda suspected to be Unspeakables, to see him as well. Sirius had finally had enough when the Minister himself arrived, with that damnable 'grandfatherly' expression his face, and had attempted to sway Sirius into allowing the public to finally receive some answers about their Saviour.

Andromeda wholeheartedly approved when Sirius had stood his ground in front of Harry's hospital room, his wand in hand, and had calmly but firmly declared that the next person to approach him about his Godson and Heir would have their stay at St. Mungos permanently extended. Andromeda had, of course, stood right next to her cousin, fully prepared to support him to the best of her abilities.

By the end of the week, the Healers had declared Harry fully fit and in full control of his mental faculties. This was all despite the fact that Harry had yet to say a single word other than when answering a direct question about how he was feeling or if had any discomforts that could be fixed or healed. He had steadfastly ignored any questions in regards to his six year stay in the Potter's home.

Andromeda entered the dining room of the formerly-known Malfoy Manor. The size always gave the second Black daughter pause, after all it was nearly half the size of the Great Hall of Hogwarts. There, close to the wall opposite of the room's entrance was the lengthy table that Brutus Malfoy, a 17th-century ancestor of the Malfoy family, had added to the Malfoy Manor. The man had been just as much a muggle, and muggleborn, hater as his descendants. He was known to have many a gathering here in his, at the time, home for those who, like him, believed that simply being in the company of muggles and muggleborn was a sign of weakness. No matter if the "afflicted" had the purest of blood, they were weak in the eyes of Brutus Malfoy.

Now though, the table was simply an irritation and was rather impractical. Currently, _Black_ Manor only held three adults and three children, which was including Harry now; for a table that could easily seat twenty, it was imposing. Sirius had had another, smaller, table set up on the opposite side of the room for family meals. He had begrudgingly admitted that the larger table would have its uses for any situation in which the Black family hosted a party or a meeting.

As she sat down at the smaller table, a House Elf had appeared with a plate of sandwiches of various combinations and set it before her, a face appeared in her mind. It was her husband. Instantly a feeling of regret and dismay rose within her.

When Sirius had taken on the mantle of Lord Black and had brought both Narcissa and Andromeda herself back under the Black family, Ted had been more than displeased. It wasn't truly his fault either, after all, she had never fully told him about what happened in the Black family when they were all younger. All Ted knew was that his wife's entire family had turned it's back on her and left her out in the cold simply because the two had married against the wishes of the Black family. Ted didn't even know it was all because he was a muggleborn until they had had a run-in with Bellatrix in Diagon Alley a few years after they had all graduated from Hogwarts. Bellatrix had still been somewhat sane and nowhere near the murderous witch she would later become before her death and so the interaction had been nothing but taunts and insults.

Ted had, understandably, been upset that she had never told him the full story of why her family didn't want them to marry. He had forgiven her, of course, but he remained a bit distant for a few of the following months. They had lived their lives as any other married couple after that and had found happiness and love within each other that they both never believed they ever would. Their happiness only increased when Andromeda became pregnant with their first-born, Nymphadora. Then, three years later, everything began to change.

The Dark Lord had been vanquished and all of the Death Eaters were dead. Sirius was Lord Black and had taken his widow cousin, Narcissa, under the Black family's protection as well as her son Draco. He had then contacted Andromeda informing her of the reversal of her banishment from the House of Black. While outwardly she showed only acceptance and gratefulness that her and her family would be well taken care of from that point on, inwardly she had been overjoyed and overwhelmed. While she had always maintained an image of indifference and happiness of being out from the shadow of her family, she had always secretly been saddened at no longer having contact with her family. Despite everything, she had missed her sisters, missed her parents, and had missed her cousins. So when Sirius' decision came she was overjoyed.

Her husband, however, was less than thrilled. He couldn't fully understand how she could be happy to return to the _that_ family. The ones who had hurt her and threw her out for marrying Ted. It was then that he had laid out his ultimatum. Him, or her "family".

Andromeda had pleaded with him, had actually gotten to her knees and begged. Something that her family pride and upraising had rebelled against, but Ted stood firm. He couldn't even appreciate what it meant for a Daughter of Black to willingly be on her knees in such a way. When she told him that she was not going to spurn her cousin, and lord's, acceptance of her back in the family, Ted had walked away; not only from her, but from their daughter.

It took several years for Andromeda to fully get over Ted walking out. She instead took to raising their -_her_- daughter to be a proper daughter of the Black family, just as Andromeda and her sisters had been...though without all the pureblood supremacy rhetoric. Sirius hadn't needed to tell her that Nymphadora would not be raised to be anything like the rest of the Black family, or any of the other "_fools who had joined a halfblood maniac and had been branded like cattle only to die along with their master when he refused to admit defeat and simply die_".

Narcissa on the other hand...she had already planned on how she wanted to raise her son; as had Lucius. Sirius had put a complete stop to that. He wanted Draco to grow up to be a model citizen and a proper pureblood. He was also not going to allow Draco to be a spoiled brat who would become upset if he didn't get his way. In other words, Draco was to be nothing like his father.

Speaking of the man who been the catalyst to so much in the Black family, he had just walked into the dining room followed by Narcissa.

Sirius slowly entered the room and sat at he head of the table. He had picked up a few sandwiches on his way to his seat and laid them on the plate in front of him. Narcissa sat in the middle of the table, not really caring to sit closer to either of her family members. Andromeda sighed as she prepared her thoughts.

Sirius still looked quite haggard, his eyes bloodshot and his face a bit pale. Narcissa was irritated which meant that Draco had no doubt been awoken by the slamming of Sirius' bedroom door. Andromeda turned her eyes upwards and prayed for strength, though she didn't exactly know whom she was to pray to for it.

"Sirius' She started. 'you've been drinking more and more ever since the night of the attack. I had hoped that sooner or later you would slow down your binging or at least keep it within the confines of your den. I especially believed you would at least stop long enough so as not to be a burden when Harry came home from St. Mungos. Instead, it was I that had to help young Harry find his way around the Manor; get him bathed and dressed; and then make sure he was able to go to sleep. All the while, you have been in your den drinking away. What do you have to say for yourself!?" By the end, her voice had steadily rose in level until she was very nearly screaming at the man who was now staring back at her with wide and ashamed eyes.

* * *

While Sirius was trying, and failing, to explain himself a young figure was currently sneaking back away from the top of the stairs and heading towards the room that held the Manor's newest resident.

Nymphadora Black stealthily approached the closed double doors and, after listening for any sounds from within, quietly opened one of the doors and peeked inside. Not seeing any movement, she stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her.

As she disappeared inside the room, a smaller figure watched from across the hall.

Harry wasn't surprised that she had not seen him, he knew very well how to hide in the shadows. It had come in handy when...

Shaking his head, he quietly made his way down the large hallway. As he did so, he took in the portraits of the different wizards and witches that had made up the Black family. Most of them were asleep and so Harry had no reason to stop his exploring. When "Auntie Andy", as he was told to refer to Andromeda as, had laid him down to sleep, he had genuinely been tired and more than happy to welcome unconsciousness. Then, he had woken.

It was always like this for him. He would sleep for a few minutes, perhaps maybe even an hour and then he would wake. It never occurred to him that he should be getting more sleep at night especially since he was so young but he had never learned about such things nor had his mother said a word about it.

He was just passing his cousin "Draco's", his Aunt Narcissa's, room when a voice stopped him.

"Hey." The young boy stopped and turned his head towards the speaker.

She was young in appearance, though he couldn't place her age as he had no reference to compare her features to. Since he had left his mother's home he had only been surrounded by adults and the girl in the portrait was definitely younger then anyone he had seen thus far.

Curly black hair that framed her pale and flawless face. Dark eyes that seemed to pierce straight through him, taking in everything about him. Then there was the smile on her face. It was beautiful; pale pink lips that had formed such a eye-catching smile. She was dangerous, even if she was a portrait. He could see the darkness in her eyes, the danger behind her smile, the death behind her beauty. She reminded him of Mother.

"Come closer boy. I wish to see you better in the light." Without hesitation, he stepped forward until he was two feet away from the portrait; his head was an inch or two shorter than the bottom of the frame. Craning his head, he looked up into those dark eyes.

"Are you him? The Black Heir? Are you Harry Potter, the Saviour?" Harry tilted his head to the side slightly. He had no clue what she was talking about. He didn't know anything about an "Heir" or a "Saviour" but he did know one thing.

"My name is Harry James Potter. May I have your name?" He asked plainly, though he kept the level of his voice down in respect to his sleeping cousin in the room behind him as well as to insure that the intruder in his own room didn't hear him. Though he wondered what she was doing since it was obvious he wasn't in there. Maybe she was laying in wait for him.

Bellatrix Black, eldest daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black, stared at the young boy before her. While he didn't look impressive, being half her size, it was not in Bellatrix' nature to disregard someone because of their looks or age. After all, she was well known in her time at Hogwarts for being a very powerful witch. She, of course, had no idea what she accomplished after Hogwarts seeing as no one would inform her and her portrait had not been allowed to self-update with the times. The boy's eyes were like her own. Either he had darkness or had seen it's true face. There was no other explanation for what she could see in those green orbs of his.

"Then you are who I believe you to be.' She spoke, either ignoring or choosing not acknowledge his request for her name. 'Harry James Potter, the one who vanquished the Dark Lord; he who has been proclaimed our world's 'Savriour'; the one who your Godfather Sirius has named as his Heir. One day, you will become Lord Black and take control of my family. Not only that, but you will become Lord Potter as well, seeing as how you are the last of your line. Never in my time have I met someone who wielded so much political, and possibly magical, power at such a young age. The most interesting part' Her voice rose a little in excitement as her eyes gleamed 'you have no clue as to what you are capable of yet."

Before Bellatrix could continue any further, a hand grabbed hold of Harry's arm and spun him around. He was hardly fazed by it all as he looked into the face of his slightly-taller cousin Nymphadora.

"And why are you out of bed Harry?" The young girl asked without preamble. Harry blinked.

"Perhaps for the same reason you were in my room a moment ago; curiousity." The girl's face flushed and she looked away even as Bellatrix' portrait laughed behind them.

"How naughty my dear niece. Are you already living up to your name? Sneaking into a boy's room at such a late hour." The teenage Bellatrix taunted.

The girl glared at the portrait for a moment before her features went blank and she scoffed as she led Harry by the arm towards his room. Harry looked over his shoulder back at the portrait who was staring back at him though the frame soon was in the way and blocked her from his view.

Once they were inside his room, the lights of the chandelier had flickered on at Nymphadora's request, Harry was guided towards his bed where he sat down with his cousin who sat facing him with her legs folded in front of her.

"So, you're my new cousin eh?" The girl asked and, to Harry's amazement, her hair had suddenly changed color from the mousy brown it had just been to a vivid pink. Seeing his reaction and realizing what had happened, Nymphadora giggled.

"I'm a Metamorphagus, that means I can change how my body looks. My hair kinda has a mind of its own; changing with my emotions. Brown is my neutral color and black is my natural one. Pink mostly happens when I'm excited about something or am really happy. I have messed around with other colors but haven't had any other colors that have appeared due to my emotional state."

The young boy blinked at the girl and a slight smile appeared on his face.

"That's really amazing Nymphadora." The girl frowned slightly before sighing in exasperation, her pink hair falling flat and brown.

"I'm not really fond of my name, Harry. I'd tell you to call me something else but I definitely don't want to be called 'Nymph' and I don't really like 'Dora' too much either."

"Guess it's Nymphadora then." Harry replied simply causing the girl to roll her eyes.

"Anyway, so...tell me what it was like being stuck in that house all this time!" She leaned forward as she spoke, her eyes wide and excited; hair once again pink.

Harry furrowed his brow, it wasn't that he didn't want to talk about it but he didn't want to talk about it just _yet_. Shaking his head, he answered.

"I'm sorry but, I'm not ready to talk about it." The girl's hair turned back brown as she slumped over in disappointment.

"Yeah, I guess I can understand. I hope that when you're ready I'll be the first to hear it though!" Her hair lightened a bit but remained brown as she smiled at him.

Harry didn't see this as unreasonable and nodded. "Maybe one day." He responded.

Nymphadora was no beaming and she reached forward and hugged Harry tightly then hopped off the bed after releasing him.

"I'll see you in the morning Harry, you have a lot to catch up on and I'm gonna be the one to help you there!" With that, and without waiting for a response, the girl bounced out of the room leaving Harry alone again.

It was only a few moments before the lights went out leaving Harry in darkness. As he sat there in silence, his thoughts went back to the portrait from earlier. He still didn't know her name but he reasoned he could simply ask her tomorrow. She had quite a few things to say but nothing as interesting as what he saw in her eyes. Those eyes that hid such darkness. It was then that her last words came back to him.

_'...you have no clue what you are capable of yet.'_

"Is that so?" He questioned the words.

As he laid himself back down and burrowed into the blankets until he was fully comfortable, the sound of something shifting across the floor on the other side of the room was heard before silence once again reigned.

* * *

**There you have it. These next few chapters will be Harry's introduction into the world as well as the slow beginnings of his relationships with his family, especially Draco and Nymphadora. **

**There will also be some information fill-ins to explain certain things before his start of Hogwarts so that you, the readers, will understand what's going on in this new world. Just like in this chapter that explains why Ted wont be around. (In honesty, we know nothing about him except what was said in the books which was, in itself, wasn't much.) I am already having to figure out personalities and backgrounds for quite a few characters that will be prominent in this fic that were either not mentioned, or only showed up as a face in the books/films. Ted didn't rate very highly on this list and I hope my reasons for moving him out of the story are well enough.**

**I'll try not to get too technical or boring with the following chapters but I don't want to just jump from Harry's emergence to Hogwarts. **

**~C.D. the XPG!**


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